Manual controls for motor-operated wringers



Jan. 22,4957 l. NAxoN 2,778,213

MANUAL CONTROLS FOR MOTOR-OPERATED WRINGERS Filed Aug. 19. 1952 2 shts-sheet 1 Jan. 22, 1957 l. NAxoN MANUAL coNTRoLs FOR MOTORHQPERATED wRINGERs Filed Aug. 19. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w ,f y 1 0 4 ,1, 4 4 J7 1 NM ffl hun ,a .lllfl i 5 fly- JN VEN TR Zal/07a frf/ BY i@ www Zf/zgs.

United States Patent 2,778,213 AL coNTRoLS FoRMoTR-oiiza'n) WRmGERs Irving lNaxon, chicago, ns. Appliaiion August i9, 1952, s'eiajs'oz'oz 1 Claim. (Cl. 684-253) My invention relates 'to 'winger's carried by washing machines, and more particularly to means forcontrolling the operation of the wringer rolls. Motor-operated wringers present a safety hazard in respect to the hand which feeds the clothes into the wringer, and conventional controls-such as a lever or switch arm--areprovided vin front sor at the `top of the wringerfor actuation to stop e wringer whenits-useeis dnot Vdesired or in anemerg'ency. However, when a linger or hand is caught ina wringer, a brief interval may occur KVbefore the other lhand is applied to the stopping lever, due to pain and concentration of the victims mind -on the 'side of 'the injlllY, 'allowing more of the hand to be drawn'intoi'the wringer and increasing the injury.

In view ofthe above -n'sk, it is theprimaryeobeet of the present invention to provide a control which requires the constant application and pressure of the hand to induce or maintain the operation of the wringer and causes the wringer to stop the moment the pressure of the hand is relaxed or the hand removed.

Another object is to design the novel control for simultaneously procuring dual functions, one being to operate an electric motor which turns one of .the wringer rolls and the other to apply pressure to the companion wringer roll in the direction of the motor-operated roll.

A still further object is to provide a wringer in which the pressure roll is applied to the motor-operated roll only by manual effort.

An additional object is to construct the motor-operated roll in a unit with the motor and the gearing which transmits the motor drive to the roll, whereby to save room and eliminate complications.

An important object is to construct the novel control in the form of a very simple mechanism which is incorporated compactly in the housing of the wringer and easily accessible for attention or repair.

With the above objects in view, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in Which- Fig. l is a front elevation, partly in section, showing the improved control;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation from the left-hand side of Fig. l, partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the assembly of the lower wringer roll lowered from the wringer housing; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In accordance with the foregoing, specific reference to the drawing indicates the washing machine at and the housing of the wringer mounted on the same at 11. The housing is of conventional external form; and it contains the wringer rolls 14 and 15 in the usual superimposed relation. In the present instance, the rolls 14 and 15 have their shafts journaled in bearings 16 and 17, respectively; and the housing 11 is extended at one end with a compartment 20 to accommodate an electric motor 21 which drives the roll'15. The motor shaft 22 enters a reduction-drive gear-train (which comprises a clockwork-like train of gears supported between two spaced 2 rectangular plates 23) from one side; vand the shaft24 of the roll 1'5 extends rfrom the other side ofthejg'efartrain, being journaledin the corresponding plate 23. ,The motor, gear-train and roll thus form a direct-coupled unit. In other words, the motor and 'gear-box are carried by and therefore f loat with the roll 15. The gear-train structure is rectangular' in "for'rn, 'a`s is the compartment 20, so that the gear-train and motor will not rotate despite the turning influence of the roll 15. The motor 'is attached to the adjacent plate of the vgear-train structure by rivets 23h. Four corner strut-posts 23a secure the plates 23 together, like la clockwork. The `bearings 16 and 17 are separated from the :gear train structure 23 by a pair Vof wings 11a extended inwardly lfrom the corresponding upright o f 'the housing 1'1.Y

The Upper 'roll14isiloatingly'disposedover the roll I5, as the facing ends 'of the journals 16 and 1 7 areopen lshcvvnV at 18 in Fig. 2; and down-pressure on the bearings 16 is required in "order to accomplishthe wringing actidn. 'Such vldov'vn-pressure `is preferablytransmitted by a crossbar 25 which spans b'oth bearings 16.

Asshown moreclearly in Fig. 2, the conductors 30 ai1d 31 leading fronthe motor circuit and comprisingrnotor terminals are attached separately, as indicated fat 32 and 3 3', to an insulation block 35 mounted over the motor. The connections 32` and 33 serve as binding posts and extend on the opposite side of t he insulation block 35 with a p'air of spring blades 37 and 38 which are in sp'a'c'ed superimposed relation.

The wringer housing 11 receives a control arm 40 in front having a shaft 41 which is journaled in the housing. The shaft extends with a crank 42 on the inside which is adapted to bear on the cross-bar 25 when the arm 40 is swung downwardly from the position shown in Fig. l, so that this motion of the arm is employed to apply downpressure to the wringer roll 14. The crank 42 is also adapted to bear down on a rod 45 attached with one end to the housing, as indicated at 45a, and extending alongside the bar 25 and out of the housing through an opening 46 in the same to a position over the motor terminal blade 37.

When the terminal blades 37 and 38 are separated at their free ends, as shown in Fig. 2, the motor circuit is broken and the motor is therefore idle. However, when the frontal arm 40, which is formed with -a terminal handle 5ft, is depressed as previously stated, the rod 45 serves to bear down on the terminal blade 37 with the effect of engaging the same with the companion blade 38. This action serves to set the motor in motion, the wringer roll 15 in rotation, and the wringer roll 14 in working engagement with the roll 15.

It will be apparent from the above description that the operation of the wringer can be instituted only by the manual down-pressure of the control arm 40, and that such action willcontinue only as long as the manual pressure on the arm 4t) is maintained. Ordinarily, the right hand is used for this purpose, while the left hand inserts the clothes between the wringer rolls. However, in case a linger or other part of the hand tends to become caught between the rolls, the attendant need only release the control arm 40. In such event, the pressure on the oating roll 14 will be removed immediately, so that no injury to the finger or hand will occur. control arm will automatically break the motor circuit, whereby to stop the roll 15, so that the chances of injury by the continued operation of the wringer are eliminated. Besides, the blades 37 and 38 are of spring material and vtend to raise the rod 45 the moment hand pressure on the control arm 40 is released, so that the control arm is automatically influenced to rise in such event. s

It may now be assumed that the novel control imparts a high factor of safety to the wringer. First, it requires the 4:Patented J an. 22, t

Also, the release of the v j the feeding zone of the wringer rolls develops. ,k since the manual pressure on the .control arm 40 is necessary for the application ofthe wringer roll pressure, it

3 grasp of the control arm at all times when the wringer is in operation, so that the hand does not have to reach for any emergency control in the event that an accident in Further,

follows that in case of a mishap the natural tendency is to withdraw or raise the control arm. Further, it is apparent that only manual pressurecan operate the upper roll 14, indicating that no other force is present at any time to require the concern of the attendant when the release of the wringer is necessary. Further, such release does not require any application of eiort or work by the n attendant, as the mere release of the control arm 40 relaxes the pressure of the upper wringer roll and cuts oi 'the motor. A control mechanism is thus provided which ,is entirely actuated by manual application or pressure and released at will by the removal of such application, `rendering the wringer safe at all times. Further, the direct coupling of the motor and gear-train to the shaft of the wringer roll 15 departs from the remote wringer drives in conventional washing machines, which occupy much f room and involve bearings, numerous parts and precision in alinement, whereas the direct coupling of the motor, `gear-train and wringer roll in the present invention produces a unit which is rigid, compact and quite simple.

I claim:

In a wringer, a housing of inverted U-form and receiving a pair of horizontal superposed wringer rolls and comprising an upper roll and a lower roll between its sides, the upper roll supported by and freely movable relative to the lower one, an electric motor connected to operateith'e lower roll, a normally open switch for the with the lower blade, said means comprising a rod connected with one end to the housing and extending with the other end over the upper blade, and a crank extended from the control arm in the region of the journal and opposite said rod, the downswing oi the control arm operating by way of said crank to vbear on the rod and cause the same to press the upper blade into contactwith the lower one.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 68,893 I McMaster Sept. 17, 1867 515,910 vGong Mar. 8, 1894 874,895 Mann Dec. 24, 1907 1,418,224 Y Arthurs May 30, 1922 1,465,348 Cox Aug. 21, 1923 1,640,627 Sweningson Aug. 30, 1927 1,755,481 Lee Apr. 22, 1930 2,060,148 Voss Nov. 10, 1936 Perkins Oct. 18, 1938 

